System of utilizing the power of tide and wave.



E, FARRA. SYSTEM OF UTILIZING THE POWER OF TIDE AND WAVE. APPLICATIONFILED OCT. 22, I912.

' Patent@& J 1113 20, I915,

s} entries.

EDGAR FARRA, or TUBLOCK, CALIFORNIA.

SYSTEM OF UTILIZING THE POWER OF TIDE AND WAVE.

To all whom it may concern: Be it knownthat I,-EDGAR FARRA, a citizen-ofthe United States, residing at Turlock, in the county of Stanislausand'State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Systems of Utilizing the Power of Tide and Wave, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference be-' ing had thereinto the accompanying draw ThlS invention relates to an mproved system forapplying, storing and utilizing the.

power of waves and tlde.

The invention relates more especially to systems of the accumulator typein which I am aware that it has been before PIO-y posedto utilize theforce of breakers or of surf by providing receivers for the horizontallymoving water, these receivers bemgg connected with pipes bymeans ofwhich a small part of the wave body could be conducted away and upward.

A system embodying my invention is to so be distinguished from theseheretofore proposed surf or beach systems. in that it involves aprecipitous sea wall or clifli' against and adjacent which the waves andtide act. The object of my invention, therefore, is to providean-accumulator system which isarranged to' take advantage of and utilizethe force of tide and waves at a rocky shore, it being understood that,by my improved system, advantage is taken both of the horizontal and thevertical movements of the water during the wave action. One oftheadvantages of my'system' is that it makes use of the natural rocky'seawall and is therefore fully protected from damage. Most earliermechanisms which have been proposed and tried for utilizing the power ofwaves and tide have been open to the objection that they were exposed tothe action of the water in such a way that 80 they" could be easily.destroyed in case of In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated theform of mechanism which I now deem preferable, but it will be understoodthat numerous changes and modifications in structural details can bemade with- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20, 1915.

Application filed October 22, 1912 Serial No. 727,250.

out departing from the spirit of my invention.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved system,some of the parts being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a detail view of theclamp for supporting the plpe.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents as a whole a rock sea wall orcliff in con nection with which mysystem is intended to be used. In this'sea wall orclifl, I first form a vertical well or shaft 2 at aconvenient distance from the ocean. The walls of this well are madesmooth in any desired way. After the well has been completed, aconnection or passageway is made between its lower end andthe ocean,preferably by blasting out the rock. Such a passageway is indicated inthe drawing by 3. The level of this passageway 3 is such that its upperwall or roof is below the level of the ocean at low tide, the intentbeing to keep the passageway 3 at all times full of water. I I

At asuitable elevation in the well 2, and

preferably near the passageway 3, I provide a bell 4, the edges of whichengage the walls of the well and form a tight, joint therewith. Attheupper part of this bell 4; there is an aperture 5 which communicateswith a vertical pipe 6 secured to the bell. In the aperture 5 there ismounted a check valve 7 which may be of any desired type. In the drawingfor purposes of illustration I have shown a valve of the puppet typewhich is normally held closed by a spring 8. The valve can be openedwhen a slight pressure is applied to its lower side.

The pipe 6 communicates at its upper end by means of-a slip joint 9 witha second ver- 1 tical pipe 10 which communicates at its upper end with atank or reservoir 11 mounted upon a suitable tower l2. The movement ofthe tide and waves causes a corresponding movement of the water withinthe well 2 and the result is that the water in this well is constantlysurging upward and downward with much force and with considerablefrequency. The vertical movement of the water in the well 2 is notmerely the result of the vertical movement of the water outside, but isin largepart due to'the horizontal movement of the water as it rushes upagainst the wall 1 and into the opening 3. The apparatus which I havedescribed is intended and designed to take advantage of the upward anddownward surging of the water in the Well 2. The water inthe .well 2tends to move upward considerably above the bell 4 with the result thatwhen the water encounters'the bell it exerts upon'it a powerful ramaction' valve 7 is again opened and the action is repeated, the resultbeing that water is ultimately forced upward through the pipes 6 and 10into the reservoir 11.

From the reservoir 11 the water can be drawn ofl tobe used in anydesired way. In the drawing I have shown a pipe 13 controlled by a valve14. This pipe connects with the reservoir at its upper end and at itslower end with a motor or turbine 15 from which power can be transmittedby a belt 16 to be usedat adynamo or otherwise.

The reservoir 11 should preferably be of such a size that it can containsufiicient Wa'' .ter to keep the turbine in operation during the periodsof minimum lifting efficiency of the tide and waves. At extremely lowtide or during acalm, the lifting action of the tide and. waves will bereduced and at these times the deficiency in the quantity of watersupplied will be made up from the reservoir '11. Under other conditions,however, more water will be lifted than canbe utilized by the turbine 15and I therefore provide an overflow at 17 through which thesurplus watercan be discharged back to the ocean.

.The pipe 13 is much smaller than the pipes 6 and 10, as it need carryonly asteady stream, whereas the pipes 6 and 10 must at times of maximumaction carry large bodies of water to be stored and utilized at times ofminimum action. r

I Preferably the pipe 6 is supported by means of two timbers 18, 18,which are clamped to the pipe by means of bolts 19.

As there is a slip or telescopic connection between the pipes 6 and 10,it will be seen that thepipe 6, and the bell 4 attached to it, can bemovedat any/desired elevation and secured in place by meansv of theclamping timbers 18, 18. In designing a system of this sort it is oftendifficult to determine in advance the exact elevation at which the bellshould be placed for maximum efliciency. By means of the adjustablemounting which I havedescribed, the elevation can be varied and the bellcan, by experiment, be located to give the best results.

, In addition to the devices which I have already described, I prefer toalso provide air valves'QO, 20 in the bell 4c. 'lhese valves may be ofany desired type. They open inward and are autoinaticallyvclosed by thepressure on the inner side of the bell when surges upward this entrappedair is forced upward through the aperture 5 and with the water throughthepipes Gand 10; Because of thisair mixed with the water the totalweight of the column in the pipes is less and the water can,onthisaccount, be lifted to a greater elevation than would be the case if theair valves were omitted. Furthermore,

the air valves make possible a freer move-'- ment of the water'withinthe well'2. Were it not for the valves there would be a tend ency for apartial vacuum to be formed beneath the bell as the water recedes andthis would tend to prevent the water reaching its minimum level. Withthe valves, however, the water can descend freely, with theresult I thatit moves upwardthrough a greater distance and consequently with agreaterforce, which force is expended in lifting the valve 7 and in forcing thewater upward through the pipes. 1.

It is well known that sea water has a very deleteriousactiononinetallic'pipes and containers. For this reason I prefer to formthe pipes which Ihave described, and also the reservoir, of eucalyptuswood upon.

which seawater has little or no-effect.- Other materials may, however,be used if desired.

What I claim is 1. In a'system for utilizing the power of tide andwaves, the combination with a sea wall having thereln a vertlcal welland a passageway to the water below its lowest level whereby water inthe well can surge upwardand downwarcLunder e lnfluence of the tideandwaves, ofa pipe connected at its lower-end with the walls of thewell, an automatically closing valve at the lower'end of the pipeadapted to be opened by upward surging water in the well to admit waterto the pipe, and a reservoir for receiving water discharged from theupperv end of the pipe.

2. In a system for utilizing the power of tide and waves, thecombinationwith a sea wall having therein a vertical .well and a passageway to thewater below its lowest level whereby water in the well can surge upwardand downward under the influence of the tide and waves, of a verticalpipe terminating at its lower end in the well, a bell connected at itsedges with the walls-of the well and at its top withthe lower end of thepipe, the said bellhaving air-intake apertures, automatic valves for theairin take apertures adapted to permit the flow of air into the bell butto prevent its flow outward, anautomatic valve at the lower end 13o ofthe pipe adapted to be opened by the ,up- I ward movement of water andair in the space beneath the bell, they air and water moving upwardthrough the pipe, and a reservoir for receiving water from the upper endof the pipe.

' 3. In a system for utilizing the power of tide and Waves, thecombination with a sea wall having therein a vertical well and apassageway to the water below its lowest level whereby water in the wellcan surge upward and downward under the influence of the tide and waves,of a vertical pipe terminating at its lower end in the well, a bellconnected at its edges with the walls of, the well and at its top withthe lower end of th pipe, an automaticvalve at the lower end of the pipeadapted to be opened by the upward -movement of water in the well, asecond pipe having a slip connection with the first pipe at its upperend whereby the first pipe and the bell may be vertically adjusted,means for holding the first pipe-andwthe bell in adjusted position, anda reservoir "for receiving water from the upper end of the second pipe.

p In testimony whereof I aflix-my signature,

in presence of two witnesses.

